TRAVEL ITINERARY

We will be arriving in Guatemala City on Friday evening April 6. We are not sure when they will bring Nora to our hotel. Our appointment with the US Embassy is at 7:15 a.m. on Wednesday, April 11. We will be arriving in Dallas at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, April 13.

GLORIOUS NEWS!

We received our pink slip on Friday from the US Embassy. Our appointment is on April 11 at 7:15 a.m.. Nora's visa picture will be taken and her visa can be picked up the following day. We anticipate Nora coming home on Friday, April 13. This will be the day Nora will become a US citizen.

UPDATE!

Praise God!
We found out today that the Guatemalan government has completed Nora's passport and it has been sent on to the US Embassy. WOW, it is amazing how things have changed in 24 hours!

Now we are waiting for the pink slip (visa appointment date at the US Embassy).

ANOTHER SETBACK!

We found out today that Nora's Guatemalan passport (which has been taking one day) is taking a week or longer. Our attorney will not be submitting our request for Nora's US visa until she has a Guatemalan passport. Our submission will be at least one week away and then depending on how many days the US Embassy is closed it may take a while to get everything submitted. After that we will be given a date to pick up Nora's US visa.

UPDATE!

We found out today that Nora's birth certificate has been completed by the Guatemalan government which means Nora is officially our daughter. The birth certificate still has to be translated and a Guatemalan passport prepared then sent to the US Embassy. This should take approximately two days. The US Embassy will then need a few more days to to issue a visa appointment. Once this process is completed, the US Embassy will then issue a "pink slip" which identifies an appointment date and time for Pam and I to be at the US Embassy in Guatemala to get Nora's visa and other official documents so that we can bring her to the United States. We have no idea when all of this will happen because the US Embassy will be closed several days over the next month for President Bush's visit, an international adoption conference in Guatemala City, retraining and then for the Easter holiday period.

WE ARE APPROVED!

We heard from the adoption agency right after lunch that the Guatemalan government has approved our adoption. We have a conference call with the adoption agency tomorrow morning to discuss travel details. We hope to be traveling in a few weeks to pick her up.

NEW PICTURES!

GOOD NEWS

This week we found out that we were kicked out of PGN on December 21. The good news is that we re-entered PGN on the same day and we could receive word of approval any day now. When we receive approval then we will have a 3 to 8 week wait for a new birth certificate to be issued. Then we can bring Nora home. While we wait, a home study update will be done. We are also getting our house back in order from the water damage.

MORE LAST DAY PICTURES

Nora's foster Mom America and her grand-daughter Lucy:




Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos


Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos

LAST DAY PICTURES

We made it home okay last night but found a water leak in our house that damaged some of the ceilings and carpet. Looks like 2007 is starting off to be an interesting year.

We had a great time with Nora. We are looking forward to the day we bring her home. We heard that the Guatemala government fired some of their adoption reviewers who were not processing their cases and hired more reviewers so maybe there is hope that Nora will get to us very quickly. We heard that there will be twice as many people reviewing adoption cases.

Here are some of the pictures of our last day with her.

MORE PICTURES

NAP TIME!

Watching Penn State beat Tennessee in the Outback Bowl just wore Nora out. Gotta get some rest for the remaining bowl games. To the folks in Pennsylvania and Virginia, HOW 'BOUT THAT PENN STATE!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

SHE SAYS DA DA

We have been working with Nora the past 11 days to say DA DA. She finally said it this afternoon in front of the camera.


Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos


Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos

NEW YEARS EVE IN GUATEMALA!

All of us are doing well. The weather is great. We are getting ready for a big fireworks display tonight. We have been told that the New Years Eve fireworks display is larger and louder than the Christmas Eve display. Dad can't wait! There have been no more earthquake tremors.




Quit acting like cousin Eve Dad!







I am related to a Saints fan?

EARTHQUAKE!

We just experienced a minor earthquake a few minutes ago. The entire building shook for a few seconds. No damage and everyone is fine. This was our first experience with an earthquake. We are not sure about how many times Nora has experienced it.

PLAYING PEEK-A-BOO

Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos

MORE PLAY TIME PICTURES

NORA & VOLCANOES

Nora having fun....



Volcanoes in the sunset.....

A SPITTIN GOOD TIME!

Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos